PAT Council Update- May 2008

PAT Council representatives learned at their recent monthly meeting that they
can not use UNH computers to forward emails related to union organizing
efforts to their constituents even if their aim is to act solely as a conduit.

Doing so is a violation of policy that says employees can’t use university
resources to promote union information, according to Sharon Demers, assistant
vice president of human resources.

In other news, the council discussed how years of service are counted. The
number of years non-benefited long-term hourly workers are at UNH aren’t
considered in longevity pay or when it comes to separation incentive programs.
Here’s why it matters: OS workers are, after 10 years of employment,
entitled to longevity pay. If an employee works four years as a non-benefited
OS employee and then works six as a benefited OS, the worker isn’t entitled
to the longevity pay.

The same applies to the way years of employment are calculated to offer someone
a SIP; the requirement must be met with benefit-eligible years.

Demers noted the question of how long someone can work as a full-time non-status
employee is being evaluated.